So gasps and heavy steps resounded on the other side of the thin wall, perfectly echoing inside the tiny house. Clifford diverted his gaze in annoyance but promptly glared at the man who eventually entered the shabby habitation.
Khan didn't bother to turn to inspect the newcor. He had already committed his aura to mory, so he recognized him before he even stepped into the house. The man was the first-level warrior wearing a beanie hat with a white rat sewn into its black fabric, and Khan's glowing eyes moved onto him only when he reached Clifford.
"I'm sorry, Boss," The first-level warrior muttered, his head lowered. " and the guys were curious."
"I'll still punish you on the next job," Clifford snorted before warily glancing at Khan. "I an trip."
Khan enjoyed his drink, feigning ignorance. He honestly wasn't interested in ddling with the White Mouse crew's illegal activities, but Clifford's reservations were understandable.
It didn't help that Khan needed information about those illegal activities, at least pieces of them. He ant that as a precaution to avoid starting scuffles with the criminals in the area, but Clifford could very well see it as a ploy to crack down on those deeds.
"The Prince wants to learn more about the Nak in the area," Clifford revealed, nodding at Khan. "Tell him what you know."
"Oh!" Hughie exclaid, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Khan. "Are you a fellow fan? The Nak truly are an intriguing species, aren't they?"
Khan held back from blinking in disbelief. His Tainted status was probably buried under all his other achievents, but his Thilku uniform was open, perfectly displaying the blue scar on his chest. However, Hughie didn't seem to notice it or connect it to the Nak.
'I'm really back in the Slums,' Khan cursed in his mind, recalling old events with a certain Tainted rat in the mines.
"I'm more than a fan," Khan declared. "You might say I'm the Nak's greatest fan."
Clifford couldn't help but tense up, regretting his decision to bring Hughie to the eting. Anyone would notice Khan's sarcastic tone, but his man looked oblivious to the matter since an excited smile broadened on his face.
"That's great, Prince Khan!" Hughie almost shouted. "The Nak have such an interesting history, but no one seems to care about them anymore. So, what do you wish to know?"
"Everything, really," Khan responded. "Anything relevant to these quadrants, at least."
"But there is so much to tell!" Hughie stated, looking at his leader. "Boss, should I bring the console here?"
Clifford glared at Hughie before showing his disgusting smile to Khan, adding polite words. "My man misspoke. We are simple workers. We couldn't possibly own consoles."
Hughie didn't seem to understand what was happening, but Khan didn't let it stop him. He drew his phone and tinkered with it for a few seconds before placing it on the table. Holograms soon shot out from the device, creating a relatively barren star map of the area.
The real map in Khan's possession was littered with details, but the pirates didn't need to know that. The holograms on the table only featured a few famous checkpoints and directions, which seed enough for Hughie.
"I must check my notes to point out everything," Hughie announced, approaching the table's side to play with the holograms, "But I can rember plenty of things on the spot!"
Hughie resembled a child with a new toy while he pressed on seemingly random planets and spots on the holograms, adding short explanations. Khan's phone automatically recorded it, updating the map, but nothing captured his attention yet.
It turned out Clifford had spoken the truth. The area was littered with Nak's remains, but everything was a junkyard, at best. Most remains were nothing more than old tal or bones so past specialists had linked to the Nak. Nevertheless, they had been labeled useless, and no one ever bothered to clean them up.
Khan found that both reassuring and disappointing. He couldn't retrieve information from random tal, even with his ship's technology. The bones wouldn't be helpful, either, aning he might avoid exploring each site.
The situation would have been different with engines or storage devices, but those quadrants' inhabitants had plundered and repurposed everything. Whatever data those remains might have had was probably gone now, and Khan wouldn't even have ways of tracing those pieces of alien technology.
'There should be a black market here,' Khan thought, absentmindedly listening to Hughie's explanations. 'Well, every market might be a black market here, but what are the chances of finding honest sellers?'
Khan could probably recognize the authenticity of the goods with a single look, but the area's rchants didn't know that. Everyone would try to scam him if he announced his intentions, and sorting through the various sellers would be a massive waste of ti.
'Which I'll be forced to do anyway if I don't find better options,' Khan cursed in his mind, glancing at the excited Hughie still working on the holograms.
"Is this all this area has?" Khan asked, interrupting Hughie. "Is there anything more peculiar? Stranger? Mysterious? Alive?"
Hughie stopped in his tracks, crossing his arms and diverting his gaze in thought. He occasionally murmured incomprehensible words, seemingly conversing with himself. Clifford stared intently at his n, hoping he would co up with sothing, which he did. Still, Clifford didn't look pleased about it.
"There's the Great Old One," Hughie revealed.
"The what?" Khan asked.
"That's just a legend," Clifford scolded. "Hughie, the Prince is interested in real stuff."
"But that's the greatest point of interest in these quadrants, Boss," Hughie argued. "I have a friend who beca loaded after asking the Great Old One for advice."
"You eat, sleep, and piss in my ships," Clifford pointed out. "You don't have any friends outside the White Mouse."
"I happen to be very engaged on a network of aficionados, Boss," Hughie defended himself. "I talk there daily!"
"That's why you always want console duty," Clifford realized before recalling Khan's presence. "Not that we have any consoles."
Clifford threw an I'll-deal-with-you-later glance at Hughie before showing another smile at Khan, but the latter didn't let the pirate change the topic.
"This Great Old One," Khan uttered. "Tell more about it."
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